Part 34 (1/2)
”Courage!” cried Raoul, ”courage!”
”Too late!”man, ”too late!”
The water closed above his head and stifled his voice
Raoul sprang froe of its own preservation, and in three or four strokes was at the gentleman's side; he seized the horse at once by the curb and raised its head above water; the aniain and, as if he comprehended that they had come to his aid, redoubled his efforts Raoul at the sa rasped with the tenacity of a drowning man Thus, sure that the rider would not release his hold, Raoul now only directed his attention to the horse, which he guided to the opposite bank, helping it to cut through the water and encouraging it ords
All at once the horse stue and then placed its foot on the sand
”Saved!” exclairay hair, who also touched bottoentle from the saddle into Raoul's arms; Raoul was but ten yards fro hirass, unfastened the buttons of his collar and unhooked his doublet A ed in his turn to land, after crossing hiuided themselves as well as they were able toward the bank, with the aid of a pole which chanced to be in the boat
Thanks to the attentions of Raoul and the radually returned to the pale cheeks of the dying man, who opened his eyes, at first entirely bewildered, but who soon fixed his gaze upon the person who had saved him
”Ah, sir,” he exclaimed, ”it was you! Without you I was a dead man--thrice dead”
”But one recovers, sir, as you perceive,” replied Raoul, ”and we have but had a little bath”
”Oh! sir, what gratitude I feel!” exclaiood D'Arht, have I not? but it is your own fault You were my tutor, why did you not teach me to swim?”
”Oh, monsieur le comte,” replied the old man, ”had any misfortune happened to you, I should never have dared to show ain”
”But how did the accident happen?” asked Raoul
”Oh, sir, in the iven the title of count ”We were about a third of the way across the river when the cord of the ferryboat broke Alar into the water I cannot swim, and dared not throwtheto drown race in the world, when you arrived just in tiree, hencefore are friends until death”
”Sir,” replied Raoul, bowing, ”I am entirely at your service, I assure you”
”I a man; ”my father is the Marechal de Grammont; and now that you knoho I am, do me the honor to inforelonne,” answered Raoul, blushi+ng at being unable to name his father, as the Count de Guiche had done
”Viscount, your countenance, your goodness and your courage incline ratitude is already due Shake hands--I crave your friendshi+p”
”Sir,” said Raoul, returning the count's pressure of the hand, ”I like you already, froard me as a devoted friend, I beseech you”
”And nohere are you going, viscount?” inquired De Guiche
”To join the army, under the prince, count”
”And I, too!” exclai man, in a transport of joy ”Oh, so ether”
”It is well; be friends,” said the tutor; ”young as you both are, you were perhaps born under the same star and were destined to e your clothes; your servants, to whoave directions the ht to be already at the inn Linen and wine are both being war men had no objection to this proposition; on the contrary, they thought it very tiain at once, whilst looks of adant horseht and proud looks, loyal and intelligent shteen years of age, but he was scarcely taller than Raoul, as only fifteen
30 Skir
The halt at Noyon was but brief, every one there being wrapped in profound sleep Raoul had desired to be awakened should Grimaud arrive, but Grimaud did not arrive Doubtless, too, the horses on their part appreciated the eight hours of repose and the abundant stabling which was granted them The Count de Guiche akened at five o'clock in the ood-day They breakfasted in haste, and at six o'clock had already gone tencount's conversation wasto Raoul, therefore he listened ht up in Paris, where Raoul had been but once; at the court, which Raoul had never seen; his follies as page; two duels, which he had already found the ainst theilance--these things excited the greatest curiosity in Raoul Raoul had only been at M Scarron's house; he named to Guiche the people whom he had seen there Guiche knew everybody--Madane, Mademoiselle de Scudery, Mademoiselle Paulet, Madame de Chevreuse He criticised everybody hu the rest at Madaenuine sympathy, but either instinctively, or fro in her favor His praises increased Raoul's friendshi+p twofold Then caallantry and love affairs Under this head, also, Bragelonne had much more to hear than to tell He listened attentively and fancied that he discovered through three or four rather frivolous adventures, that the count, like himself, had a secret to hide in the depths of his heart
De Guiche, as we have said before, had been educated at the court, and the intrigues of this court were not unknown to him It was the same court of which Raoul had so often heard the Coed since the period when Athos had hi which the Count de Guiche related was new to his traveling co count, witty and caustic, passed all the world in review; the queen herself was not spared, and Cardinal Mazarin came in for his share of ridicule
The day passed away as rapidly as an hour The count's tutor, a , as his pupil described him, often recalled the profound erudition, the witty and caustic satire of Athos to Raoul; but as regarded grace, delicacy, and nobility of external appearance, no one in these points was to be compared to the Comte de la Fere
The horses, which were more kindly used than on the previous day, stopped at Arras at four o'clock in the evening They were approaching the scene of war; and as bands of Spaniards soht to hborhood of Arras, they determined to remain in the town until the morrow The French army held all between Pont-a-Marc as far as Valenciennes, falling back upon Douai The prince was said to be in person at Bethune
The enemy's army extended from Cassel to Courtray; and as there was no species of violence or pillage it did not commit, the poor people on the frontier quitted their isolated dwellings and fled for refuge into the strong cities which held out a shelter to the battle wasmanoeuvred, until that movement, only in order to await a reinforceratulated the was eroo men loaded the pistols in case of a skir both dreamed that they had arrived too late to participate in the battle In theit was rumored that Prince de Conde had evacuated Bethune and fallen back on Carvin, leaving, however, a strong garrison in the for positively certain in this report, the young warriors decided to continue their way toward Bethune, free on the road to diverge to the right and march to Carvin if necessary
The count's tutor ell acquainted with the country; he consequently proposed to take a crossroad, which lay between that of Lens and that of Bethune They obtained information at Ablain, and a statement of their route was left for Gri they set out De Guiche, as young and impulsive, said to Raoul, ”Here we are, three masters and three servants Our valets are well arh”
”I have never seen him put to the test,” replied Raoul, ”but he is a Breton, which pro”
”Yes, yes,” resumed De Guiche; ”I am sure he can fire a musket when required On my side I have two sure men, who have been in action withmen; if we should meet a little troop of enemies, equal or even superior in nue them, Raoul?”
”Certainly, sir,” replied the viscount
”Holloa! young people--stop there!” said the tutor, joining in the conversation ”Zounds! how you et the orders I received to conduct you safe and sound to his highness the prince! Once with the arood pleasure; but until that tieneral of the army I shall order a retreat and turn my back on the first red coat we co
They arrived at Ablain without accident There they inquired and learned that the prince had in reality quitted Bethune and stationed hi directions at every place for Grimaud, they took a crossroad which conducted the little troop by the bank of a s into the Lys The country was beautiful, intersected by valleys as green as the e the path which they were following In anticipation of some ambuscade in each of these little woods the tutor placed his two servants at the head of the band, thus for men represented the body of the army, whilst Olivain, with his rifle upon his knee and his eyes upon the watch, protected the rear
They had observed for some time before them, on the horizon, a rather thick wood; and when they had arrived at a distance of a hundred steps froes took his usual precautions and sent on in advance the count's two grooms The servants had just disappeared under the trees, followed by the tutor, and the youngabout a hundred yards off Olivain was at the same distance in the rear, when suddenly there resounded five or sixup their steeds, and at the saallop
The young , spurred on toward the servants The tutor followed theerly inquired the two youths
”No,” replied the servants, ”it is even probable that we have not been seen; the shots were fired about a hundred paces in advance of us, in the thickest part of the wood, and we returned to ask your advice”
”My advice is this,” said Monsieur d'Ares, ”and if needs be, my will, that we beat a retreat There may be an a there?” asked the count